Overload yielding wrench with ratcheting jaws



Aug. 15, 1950 w. J. scHAuB OVERLOAD YIELDING WRENCH Wm; RATCHETING JAWS Filed Sept. 28, 1945 INVENTOR 14 4144 Q/ 507,405 ATTOR Y Patented Aug. 15, 1950 ew PATENT OFFICE OVERLOADYYIELDING WRENCH WITH n 'roHETmo ws- H William J. Schaub, Westport, Application sesa 28, 1945, Serial No. 619,139

*f'fhis invention relates to wrenches of the spannet type; More particularly, the" invention deals with Wrenches of this kind employing a pair of pivoted jaw' members having on opposed jaw faces transverse teeth or-projections, arranged as to provide a positive gripping engagement with recesses inop Osed' outer surfaces of a screw, bolt or. other threaded member-to move the same into set position, and in loosening said member, while atithe same time; and in a'difierent position of the wrench on the member, to provide a yieldablesetting or tightening of'a threaded member to prevent'stripping off threads or destruction to the si pport; in which the threaded member 'is threadedfStill more particularly, the invention 'cornprises finger grippirig'meanson one jaw membenfor moving j the jaw member into open jpesinerr \in' spanning the; threaded; member for coupling engagement .withYrecesses or sockets therein? The novelfeatures of thejnvention will be'best understood fromv the followingde'scriptic when taken together with the'accompanying drawing? which certain embodiments r the invention are disclosed, andin which theseparatej peneere design atedfby' isliitablereference char acters ine'ach of th'eviewgs} and inwhich:

' use side view of awrenc'h madeac'cordmg to myinyention; showing one of the jaw mem bers in an open position in dot'and dash lines. r ig 2 is across section fonjtheline 2 2 0:

Fig 3 is aplan viewfoi the structurel asseen inFig.',1 ;'and. f f ff'ig. 4 is a View similar to 'Figfil; showing a secqn laitxus n he w ch-f u Inf th': accompanying drawing, l0 'represents the 'mai'n stock or body of'the wrench, compris ing a. longhandlemember' H, a central channel a -{i [Lands jaw'end t3. Betw'ee nthe channel portion l2 and the jawend I3fthe1wre'nCh1-is recessed atone side, as seen at M, and this recessedsideincludesa pivotportion l5for receiv ing a pivot screw or rivet l5, which also passes through thepivoted'mernber I! of thewrench.

oyerlying the pivotportion lfi, and through which,

thejscrew 0r rivet passes. L'I'heouter end of, themember, H has anenlarged jaw portion 30,

substantially similar to thejaw i3. k The inner end o t member ll a a ound d r ughe d upper surface 2! forming a fingergrip'by means 4 -Claims; Cl. 81 62.4

r 'whicha finger of the hand may be utilized in depressing the inner endof the member H to spread the'jaws; as indicated indot and dash lines in Fig; loi'the drawing.

The stock lllor thechannelled central portion l2 thereof is recessed, as seen at 22, in alinement with the finger grip portion 21 so as to facilitate-acomplete inward movement of the finger grip portion against the action of a spring 23. The sprin 23 bears onthe inner surface 24 of the member I! and'an adjustable screw plug 25 is mounted in the portion 12 of the wrench stock and is adjustable to control the tension of the spring so as to regulate the yield of the member 1 l linthe use of the wrench, as seen in Fig. 4, and

later described. 7

Considering Fig. 3 of the drawing, it will be apparent that the tool is kept substantially within the boundaries of the side surfaces of the stock ID or the thickest portion thereof, as represented by the channelled portion [2. 7

' The jaws l3 and 20 terminate at their outer ends in inwardly extending jaw parts Zii and 27, which form stops limiting closing movement of thejaws. Inwardly of the members 26 and 2?, the jaws have substantially fiat surfaces 28 and 29, centrally of which are transversely arranged and extending teeth or projections 3t and 3t,

the teeth or projections preferably have straight marily to give greater strength to said teeth or projections.

My improved type of wrench is adapted for use on round headed or hexagon or other type of angular head'constructions of screws, bolts, or

other threadedmembers, and to indicate two of such uses, Ihave shown in Figs. 1 and 4, in full lines, round heads 34, and in dot and clash lines, hexagon headsr35. These heads will be provided on opposed outer surfaces with notches or recesses, as at 36,.adapted to receive the teeth or projections 30 and 3!; In one use of the wrench, and when it is desired to firmly tighten the screw, bolt or other threaded member, the wrench is applied to themember, as seen in Fig. 1, with thewpivoted member H of the wrench disposed outwardly with respect tothe tightening motion of the wrench and the fixed jaw l3 inwardly, or as seen in the drawing with the member E? at the top and the jaw 13 at the bottom. As the wrench is swung on and with the member 34-35,

in tightening the same, the teeth or projections of the jaws will maintain a firm engagement with the opposed sockets or recesses 36 engaged thereby. However, when it is desired to tighten a screw, bolt or other threaded member to a limited extent, and without subjecting the same to stresses or strains, the wrench is reversed in its mounting upon the member 3 i35, as seen in Fig. 4. In other words, with the fixed jaw l3 on the top and the movable jaw 28 on the bottom.

In the tightening operation, or in swinging the wrench in the direction of the arrow X of Fig. 4, it will appear that the jaw 20, including the member I! will be forced outwardly against the action of the spring 23 and the jaws, including the teeth thereof, would rotate freely around the head 34-35, thus tightening the threaded member to the extent controlled by the tension of the spring 23. It will also be apparent that the position of the wrench shown in Fig. 4 would be the position of attaching the wrench to the member 3435 in loosening the member, and particularly in loosening a member tightened in the first mentioned or Fig. 1 use of the wrench.

It will be apparent thatin applying the wrench to the head of a threaded member, the finger of the hand grasping the handle l i will be-utilized to depress the finger grip end 2! to movethe jaw 20 into an open position, sufficiently to facilitate insertion of the teeth 33--3l into the notches or recesses 35;. Thereafter, the pressure of the finger is released and the spring 23 will automatically move the jaws into operative or ripper position.

In tightening screws or other threaded members, in supports of soft material, such as soft metals and plastic materials, there has been a tendency to strip the threads in tightening the screw or threaded member too severely. Further in tightening bolts, screws or other members upon plastic supports, excess tightening will result in splitting or damaging the support. To obviate these objectionable. features, I provide a wrench wherein the jaw members are so constructed and coupled that the jaws will operate normally to tighten a screw, ,bolt or other threaded member to a, point of secure fastening, and having reached this point, the. jaw of the wrench will move outwardly against the action of the spring and prevent further tightening of said member. By adjusting the tension of the spring, the release of the jaws from the threaded member may be controlled. In expressing this in other words, it may be said that the adjustment of the spring will control the degree of tightening of a threaded member,

In considering Fig. 3 of the drawing it will be apparent that the channel I8 is located centrally and longitudinally of the stock so that one surface. of the channel is. in alinement with the side surface of the recessed portion I4- The .iaw i3 is of substantially the same. thickness as the stock inwardly of the recess I l, and the member i1 is in the form of a flat. plate having an enlarged end forming the jaw 29, which is of a thickness common to the jaw-l3 and disposed directly above or in alineinent therewith, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. In other words, the stock ii! is of the same thickness from the channel to the jaw end thereof, except for the recess 54. This provides a centralized mounting of the movable jaw and servesto maintain the jaw ends in. direct opposed relationship to each other in the use of the wrench.

By reason of the gripping engagement of the jaws of the wrench with the sockets in the threaded member, it will be apparent that in the loose coupling of the threaded member with a threaded socket, the wrench may simply be spun with a finger of a hand until the threaded member reaches a tight position, after which firm tightening can take place in the usual manner. This same spinning operation can be utilized in removal of a. threaded member-after. the same has been loosened from its tightened position.

It will also be apparent that my improved wrench construction provides a one-hand coupling and uncoupling of the wrench with a threaded member in movement of the pivoted jaw into open and closed position, and the same hand can be utilized for tightening.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrench of the class described, comprising a fixed jaw member including an integral handle portion, a movable jaw member pivoted to the fixed jaw member, each jaw member having a flat gripper surface including a transversely arranged tooth, each tooth having a.bevelled surface and a side surface perpendicular to the gripper surface, the straight side surface of the gripper tooth of the fixed jaw being directed outwardly and of the movablejaw directed, inwardly, and tensional means engaging the movable jaw member for normally urging said movable jaw member in the direction of the fixed jaw member.

2. A wrench of the class described, comprising a fixed jaw member including an integral handle portion, a movable jaw member pivoted to the fixed jaw member, each jaw member having a fiat gripper surfaceincluding a transversely arranged tooth, each tooth having a bevelled surface and a side surface perpendicular to the gripper surface, the straight side surface of the gripper tooth of the fixed jawbeing directed outwardly and of the movable jaw directed inwardly, tensional means engaging the movable jaw member for normally urging said movable jaw memher in the direction of the fixed jaw member, and means for adjusting said tensional means.

3. A wrench comprising a pair of jaw members pivoted for movement toward and. from each other, adjacent surfaces of the jaw members being flat and each having centrally thereof a transversely extending workpiece gripper tooth, oneside surface only of each .tooth being perpendicular to said flat surfaces, the perpendicular side surface of the tooth of one jaw being'directed outwardly and of the other jaw inwardly, means on one jaw whereby said jaw may be manually moved into open position, and tensional means engaging said last named jaw to urge the jaws toward each other and support the jaws in firm engagement with a threaded member engaged by said wrench.

4. Av wrench comprising a pair of relatively movable jaws, one jaw having a stock and the other a finger grip portion arranged within the stock, tensional means in the stock yieldably supporting the jawsin engagement witha threaded member in the operation of tightening said threaded member, said. jaws having adjacent wide flat surfaces, gripper teeth centrally of and extendingthe full width of said surfaces, each tooth having a side surface perpendicular to said fiat surface of the jaw, the perpendicular surface of one tooth being directed outwardly and of the other tooth inwardly, said perpendicular surface being adapted to engage socket portions of a threaded member in the use of the wrench to tighten said member, and means embedded in the stock adjusting said tensional means in control of the force applied by the wrench through the medium of said gripper tooth in moving the threaded member into a tightened position.

WILLIAM J. SCHAUB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 178,084 Skinner May 30, 1876 765,007 Headson July 12, 1904 Number Number I 5 2,298 

